Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 178: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his plans or reports envisaged in regard to determining the value of marine life on the Rivers Liffey and Barrow and their tributaries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12437/06]

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Department's core policy goal is to conserve the inland fisheries resource in its own right and to facilitate exploitation of the resource on an equitable and sustainable basis. The Deputy will be aware that the regional fisheries boards have responsibility for the management, conservation, protection, development and improvement of the fisheries in their respective regions. The Eastern Regional Fisheries Board has responsibility for the River Liffey and the Southern Regional Fisheries Board has responsibility for the River Barrow. I understand the Deputy is particularly interested in the status of salmon stocks in these rivers.

I am advised by the Eastern Regional Fisheries Board that it has been engaged in a number of projects over the past few years to improve the stocking levels of the River Liffey and its tributaries. These projects have included works to enhance the spawning and nursery habitats of the river and during 2005 provided assistance in the stocking out of salmon fry in the Ryewater, an important tributary of the Liffey.

According to the fisheries board, a recent survey of the River Liffey was carried out by the board in conjunction with the Central Fisheries Board and Ballymore anglers in the vicinity of Ballymore Eustace, which indicated that there had been a considerable improvement in water quality since the area was previously surveyed in 1987. Stocks of trout and juvenile salmon have also improved.

The River Barrow, including its tributaries is the sixth largest salmon producing catchment in the country. The Southern Regional Fisheries Board has advised that the average redd count on the Barrow is encouraging and that there has been over a 100% increase in the redd count for 2005-06 compared to 2004-05. While the Environmental Protection Agency has acknowledged that there are problems with pollution at various locations on the Barrow and its tributaries, pollution on the Barrow is below the national average.

The central and regional fisheries boards and the Marine Institute monitor fish stocks in the districts in which these rivers are situate. In each case stocks are not seen to be within their conservation limits. For this reason, I have recently published the terms under which the wild salmon and sea trout tagging scheme will be administered in 2006 and beyond with a view to assisting the recovery in these and other rivers.